It's been a while since I've written, mainly because we've just bought our very own piece of the Outback - 500 acres of virgin bushland at Reid River, about 40 minutes south of Townsville. It's very exciting - but more about that in another post!
So in early April, right after Cyclone Debbie scared us all half to death (and then missed Townsville completely and instead absolutely smashed the whole of SE QLD and Northern NSW), the Easter school holidays rolled around and it was time to get out there camping again!
We must've gone a bit soft over Christmas or something, because we decided we would appease the teenager by taking him to the Coconut Resort in Cairns. Not only is this the polar opposite of our usual off the grid destinations, being a caravan park (shock, horror!), but it is the caravan park to end all caravan parks. It is famous for having its OWN water park, the biggest jumping pillow in the Southern Hemisphere and for being the noisiest, most kid-packed place to "camp" within 1000km.
We packed the van (or rather Steve did, refusing any interference er, help, as usual. Laura washed the dogs (yep no idea why), and then we wedged the teen into the car surrounded by an assortment of electronic devices and chargers and headed north.
Now, you may remember I mentioned Cyclone Debbie earlier, and how Townsville luckily escaped her mighty wrath?. Well we hadn't banked on the low pressure front that was still snaking its way down the Coral Coast. As we left Ingham, a mere 60 minutes after we'd left home, the sky darkened and torrential sheets of water began to fall. By the time we reached Cairns, the deluge had eased slightly so we were able to set up Swifty in between squalls. We bravely donned our bathers and went and sat, shivering on some sun loungers around one of the huge freeform swimming pools. It was empty apart from the teenager and a couple of diehard blue-lipped tweens from Victoria who probably thought the weather was positively balmy.
Steve had a great idea at that point - head to the Crystal Cascades, a picturesque set of waterfalls at nearby Redlynch, at the site of Cairns' original water source. We happily hopped into the car and left the thoroughly soggy park behind.
The Cascades were a massive hit. Even the teenager enjoyed swimming in the rock pool beneath the waterfalls and mercifully the rain managed to hold off until we made it back to the car.
Back at Coconut, the puddles were now reservoir sized lakes, the kiosk had sold out of umbrellas and most of the attractions were closed for safety reasons. It was not looking good. We decided to make a plan to head inland where it was warmer and drier. Luckily for us, the teenager was completely over the weather too, and was happy to agree!
We retired early, at least I think it was early, it was too dark to tell!
It bucketed down all night long, the wind howled, the dogs buried themselves deep under the doona and nobody got much sleep.
We awoke to a thoroughly soggy, miserable park. Everybody even the staff, looked fed up and beaten. We couldn't wait to get out! We managed to pack Swifty down in between storms but got absolutely drenched to the skin finishing up. Yuk!
In the car, we formulated a loose plan - to seek out the lesser known Outback Station Stays of the Atherton Tablelands. Most people think the Tablelands only consist of green rolling dairy farms, but we wanted to see the other side of the coin; the more rugged, remote and undiscovered!
Having found our collective mojo, we headed west and zigzagged over the Range in driving rain. Luckily, the skies began to clear at Mareeba. By the time we hit Dimbulah in the Atherton Tablelands the sun was shining out of a clear blue sky, we had meat pies in our hands and all was right with the world!
We had found online what sounded like a fascinating place - Emu Creek Station - between Dimbulah and Petford. It boasted absolute riverside camping, loads of space and was dog and kid friendly. Much more our style! We turned off the highway and followed a dirt road for about 7km as it wound through gorgeous rolling hills, gullies and eucalypt groves. Rounding the final corner we were met with a beautiful fast flowing river, heaps of shady campsites, complete with ambling cattle and wallabies. Perfection!
We pulled into the homestead, got a mud map of the property and set off to check out a couple of potential sites. The first one was very secluded but a bit too cave-like and overgrown so we checked out the 2nd option. Right on the bank above the river, with its own beach, shade trees and a lovely flat turnaround and we were sold! Even Rosie was excited!!
We took out all our damp gear and laid it on the riverbank to dry, all the while embracing the warmth of the sun on our backs and the dry sandy grass beneath our feet. To call it idyllic would be an understatement. Ok, there were other people there, but far enough away not to bother us.
We couldn't wait to try out our newest inflatable impulse buy - a 3m canoe costing the princely sum of $55 from Kmart! Having lost our original pink flamingo at the hands of poachers at Kooroorinya Falls, we had agisted the Unicorn with friends and inexplicably misplaced the Island somewhere in the Man Cave.
Steve blew it up in double quick time with the electric pump run off the car battery and in under 5 minutes it was ready for launch! It did look very serious and grown up compared to our usual buys, with seats and a skirt and paddles and everything!
Steve took the teen way up river where the unmistakable noise of whitewater was coming from. Laura followed on foot with pooches nor far behind, to record their record-breaking first attempt at shooting the Rapids! The teenager's screams could be heard for miles around as they hit the funnel sideways, barrelled down the haystacks, disappeared beneath the boiling froth before reappearing in the calm waters below! Once we'd established the squeals were not caused by life threatening injuries, we were much relieved and when they were in turn replaced by yells of "again, again!" we felt even better!!
Maybe the sun had gone to our heads a bit, but we then thought it would be a great idea for all three of us, plus the dogs, to repeat the experience! We all piled in and managed to make it out without breaking anything although we all got very wet and Sunshine was particularly unimpressed! Rosie on the other hand loved it so much so wanted to stand with her paws on the side and had to be hauled back into the boat to stop her falling out!
After we'd made it back to camp, we were in such good spirits, we thought we'd go out for a pub lunch, so we hopped into the Triton and stopped at the Railway Hotel at the little township of Almaden about 35km away.
Three yummy homemade pies later, we went for a look around at the historic station which is still in use today for the Savannahlander train which runs between Cairns and Normanton. We had seen the train on a previous trip, at Forsayth on the way to Cobbold Gorge.
After taking some cool photos, we were a bit hot, so we felt like having an ice cream. So we did. At Chillagoe. Another 35km away!
We loved Chillagoe just as much this second time and revisited the awesome General Store that sells EVERYTHING, including macadamia and apple pie flavored ice cream! Steve also bought a beef roast with the intention of cooking it in the fire the following day.
We then back the 70 odd kms back to Emu Creek laughing at how far we'd go for ice cream. It reminded us of the time we'd done a 200km round trip from Lakefield NP to Laura to swap a gas bottle! Ah good times :)
On the way back we noticed a track signed to Lappa Hotel. When we got back to camp, we spread the map out on the ground and had a look at where it might lead. So far as we could tell, it joined up to the Savannah Way at Mount Garnet. We started formulating a plan to explore this track and then head to another outback Station - Pinnarendi near 40 Mile Scrub NP. We had seen it mentioned a few times in the various online camping groups and it definitely sounded worth a look. We all agreed that sounded like a plan but that we would spend one more day enjoying the site at Emu Creek.
The following day was spent doing just that - swimming, fishing (zero catches as usual!), kayaking and eating delicious Steve's famous "Tailgate Roast" cooked in the embers of the fire and carved on the back of the Triton.
We knew as we went to bed that night, that we'd be sad to leave but that we'd be back again before too long.
We woke to a beautiful breezy, blue sky day, packed up without hurrying and headed out by 10am. Since we weren't pressed for time and the original plan had been well and truly thrown out the window, we decided to do a bit of exploring. Steve had heard about a "shortcut" between Lappa and Mt Garnet. We'd had a bit of a chat to the owner at Emu Creek Station and she'd advised against it purely because there had been a fair bit of rain and the grader hadnt been anywhere near it for a while. So with that useful snippet of local knowledge in mind, we decided to go for it! After all, if it got too boggy, we could just turn around right?
So off we went, turned off at the derelict Lappa Hotel and headed down the track. And guess what? It turned out to be one of the best decisions we'd ever made! It was an amazingly beautiful scenic route through the hills and over creeks, past lily ponds and frothy orange grevillea. The rocky based sandy track was in near perfect condition with hardly any bumps let alone anything else! It was an absolutely stunning drive and one we would highly recommend to anyone with at least an SUV towing anything except a double axle touring caravan.
We discovered later that the road actually used to be a private railway line, built in 1902 which was sold to QLD Rail early in the 20th century and finally dismantled in the 1960s.
After an easy 90 minutes, we popped out onto the main road at Mt Garnet, where we refueled our tummies, the Triton and the gas bottle! We were very pleased with ourselves and vowed to travel it again as soon as we could. Plus it had also shaved 45-60 mins off our total travel time AND cut out all the boring blacktop to boot!
We then headed south down the sealed Kennedy Developmental Road towards 40 Mile Scrub NP and Pinnarendi Station.
About 45 mins of super easy 100kph driving later, we spotted a friendly looking blue sign announcing The Brick Oven and Pinnarendi Station and we followed a short sandy track down to the Station.
Nadine and Ron have almost finished their 2 year labour of love, The Brick Oven outdoor pizza cafe/restaurant. They have created a truly magical indoor/outdoor eating area with a warm handmade brick floor and an old fashioned corrugated iron roof. Tucked away among the roughly hewn cypress pine supports and matching bench seats, sits their proudly custom-made outdoor pizza oven and smoker. But the true star of the show is the totally unique communal table; made from a massive 5 metre slab of polished rosewood and suspended from the roof trusses on 100 year old handmade chains. It is truly magnificent and very special.
Just outside, Nadine had crafted a terrific herb garden heaving with an abundance of chillies, lavender, and parsley.
After being treated to a piping hot, creamy cup of coffee made from locally ground Jacques beans, we were further delighted by the arrival of nine roly poly visitors - labrador Leia's 6 week old puppies! Being a Star Wars geek by her own admission, Nadine always names her dogs after characters from the various movies, so we were greeted by Rey, Devi and Mace Windoo to name a few!
After a good dose of puppy goodness, we took a walk down to two dams on the property. Both were a good size and although the water was muddy, they would be great for a fish or a dip... Rosie sure liked it hahahaha!!
Dinner was our staple Spag Bol and then we all fell into bed.
It was a chilly damp night but we were snug as bugs in rugs, especially with the dogs buried under the doona with us!
The morning dawned grey and windy but by 9am it was warm and sunny.
After another great coffee and bit of a chin wag with the owners, we took off for Innot Hot Springs.
Laura took the grubby pooches in for a bit of a roll around in the alternately boiling and freezing water in an attempt to wash off the worst of the accumulated cow shit and mud. It wasn't very effective since she'd forgotten about its distinctive sulphuric odour.... Ah well, they looked cleaner anyway!
We then had a hot pie and a cold one at the Hot Springs Hotel next door with its infamous collection of brassieres dangling over the bar. The pub has a beautiful outdoor area made from locally sourced timber and a lava stone wall featuring historic mining machinery in circular cut-outs.
After we felt refueled and the pooches had dried off, we headed back to Pinnarendi.
As we arrived back, Nadine the owner said they were going to take us to a secret place, deep into the property where nobody else had ever been, only family. Wow how exciting!
Ron led the way on his ATV. We stopped at one point to allow a few dozen cows and younger bulls to be driven past us by four drovers on horseback, along with a pack of rangy working Kelpies.
Once clear, we then drove through flat paddock after paddock until the land started to undulate and become tougher.
We put the Triton into 4WD and continued on as the track became more overgrown. We splashed through a couple of little creeks and wound our way over great granite and sandstone slabs that had been formed into cathedral-like shapes. Where were we going?
Suddenly, Ron pulled up and came to the window. "Just park up here and walk about a hundred metres that way", he said, "I'm going the other way. Enjoy!". And he roared off!
So, we pulled over, piled out and set off in the general direction he'd been pointing. We clambered over a rocky outcrop and then came to a stream with a bit of a dam across it. We were busy coaxing the dogs to cross the shallow water, but when we turned around, through the gumtrees we could see the sun sparkling on water beyond. As we pushed through the last few metres of undergrowth we couldn't believe our eyes! The most perfect swimming hole we'd ever seen! With a perfect sandy beach and a gorgeous staircase waterfall gushing with crystal clear water! Woo hoo!! We jumped straight into the cool water, laughing and splashing. Even the dogs were running and barking with excitement!
We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the rocky surrounds and walking upstream; playing in the water and laying on the sun-warmed stones. The dogs had a ball, crossing the myriad of shallow rivulets and splashing in the shallows. It was almost too idyllic to leave, but Steve made a promise that we'd come back and camp right next to it another time.
As the sun started to sink and the light turned soft and golden, we gathered our belongings and headed back to the truck, wistfully looking back over our shoulders at the "secret" billabong. We knew we were very lucky to have been shown such a special place and couldn't wait to come back again.
That night we were treated to Nadine's homemade hot chips and gravy (Daniel's choice!) before enjoying our last night at Pinnarendi Station, watching the owls and bats come out in the glorious light of a nearly full moon.
Next morning we woke happy and warm and had the most delicious brekkie of hot cross buns fresh from the oven. Yummo!
We then watched enthralled as the huge double decker cattle truck roared into the property and the 40-odd head of cattle waiting in the yards were loaded onto the truck, headed to Mareeba markets. Based on at least $800 per animal, they represented close to $50,000 for Ron and Nadine. Steve and Dan hungrily licked their lips as they joyfully called out "rissoles!" and "burgers!", but Laura shed a silent tear as she watched the great humble beasts squashed together on the truck, ignorant of their certain fate.
We left Pinnarendi about 10.30am and headed East on the Kennedy Hwy towards Bramston Beach where we knew of another Station stay, this time on a passionfruit farm. The drive was lovely, through the classic green pasture lands of the Tablelands, past the graceful wind farms of Ravenshoe and the glorious elevated vista at Millaa Millaa Lookout which we reached at midday for a quick photo stop.
We continued our journey on the Palmerston Hwy south east towards the coast, taking a short detour to picturesque Mungalli Falls and then the boutique Mungalli Creek Dairy for a delicious lunch.
At 2pm we crested Pin Gin Hill to see the rich flats of the Cassowary Coast laid out in front of us. We meandered slightly north to Mirriwinni in the shadow of the great Bartle Frere (Queensland's highest mountain!), before turning down Bramston Beach Road.
About 10 minutes later we arrived at Ken's passionfuit and dragonfruit farm. Ken was there to meet us and we followed him on his ATV along a freshly mown track through the tropical jungle. Suddenly we came to a spacious hilltop clearing, with beautiful sweeping mountain views. What a top spot!
We did a quick set up and then took off back down the hill to Bramston Beach - a quiet little oceanfront village arranged in an orderly fashion along the shoreline. It had a pleasant sense of neatness about it, with one motel, one general store/cafe, a council caravan park and several unpretentious 50s cinder block homes available for holiday rental. It was the sort of place that you could come every year and nothing would ever change much. Laura especially liked it a lot.
We parked up and walked through the tidy playground to the beach. What a joy! Stinger nets, lifeguards, gentle waves and lovely soft sand underfoot. So done had even made a quirky bench seat out of driftwood.
We all had a great relaxing dip in the warm super salty water before heading back up the hill in the late afternoon.
Steve made a fire while Laura rustled up her camping version of Chicken Laksa (credit to Eve Watson for the recipe). We sat around as night fell and a pink sunset gave the mountains a beautiful glow. It was almost a full moon as we turned in for the night.
Next day we were up and on the road by 10am as usual, heading home with a sackful of laundry and heads full of happy memories once again.
Until next time, it's Mingo over and out xx
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